“You can find joy in the midst of brokenness. One of the hardest times to be joyful is when you’re dealing with multiple problems
—seeking solutions but finding none—
and then several new difficulties beset you. The way to encounter joy in adversity is to encounter Me. You can pray,
‘Jesus, help me find You in the midst of this mess!’ ”—Jesus Today, Day 67
“You aren’t listening to me. I’ve had enough. Get out of my house!”
Harsh, isn’t it? Brokenness reveals itself in so many ways. I recently felt very broken over a verbal misunderstanding. I knew that the other party could only see her way and felt that I was completely wrong. Exasperation grew when she failed to take time to listen to me, and I lost my temper for the first time in a long time. As a Christian, I felt extremely discouraged. My wrong did not help her wrong; it only made the situation more difficult. The relationship became broken, and it may be a very long time before complete healing can take place. My heart hurt, and I found myself asking the Lord how to move forward and find joy after the encounter.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
—James 1:2-3
Heavenly Father, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I failed You, and now, I’m tempted to wallow in this brokenness. Forgive me for losing my temper. I want to do what today’s daily devotional advises. Help me find You in the midst of the mess.
When I turn to Jesus, I am reminded that my sorrow doesn’t have to continue. That in His presence, joy is always present. Trials bring joy. I know, it seems contrary to logical thinking. But James explains that joy can result from the trial because the brokenness results in stronger character.
Jesus, thank You for bringing joy to my heart because You are always near. I can find joy in You through my failures because You are all-powerful and ever-healing. I want to remember You take every wrong and make it right. Thank you for the reminder that You never allow loss without using it for my good and Your glory. Thank You for always redeeming pain through purpose.
The argument and broken relationship I described above were over my daughter’s care. Taylor has a rare neurologically degenerative disease. As her mama, I felt and believed one thing, and someone else who cares about Taylor believed another. Misunderstanding and emotional distress caused a broken relationship. A few days ago, the palliative home-care team came to visit Taylor. While it might seem a strange thing to find joy in that, I believe God brought someone to help our family keep her as comfortable and content as possible. I discovered joy in His provision.
God, would You transfer my thoughts of despair to thoughts of joy? Flood my heart with Your supernatural happiness. Fill me with the sense of rejoicing in Your power. Thank You for redeeming my mistakes and refilling my soul with joy.
“Counting it all joy” encompasses every detail of life, and honestly, I’m far from mastering it yet. But when I think about the word “count,” I feel a reassurance that God doesn’t expect perfection. You can’t get to one thousand without first simply counting one. And then two. And so on. Each of us can take the challenges one at a time. One day at a time. One moment at a time.
When finding joy seems difficult, run into the arms of your heavenly Father. When you’ve drawn as closely as you can, then remain there for as long as you can. Through spending time in His presence, you’ll obtain more of His perspective.
God, I trust You to transform my sorrow into joy. When I fall into trials, You lift me up. When I fail due to weakness, You supply strength. When my patience wears thin, You replenish my spirit. Thank You for ushering Your joy into my brokenness. Thank You for meeting me in the middle of the mess.
A special note about Taylor Wojnarowski.
Taylor was called home on January 2, 2019.
We express our deepest sympathy to the Wojnarowski family.
Rachel Wojo is the author of One More Step: Finding Strength When You Feel Like Giving Up. Her popular daily Bible reading plans on rachelwojo.com have reached over 5 million people. Rachel and the love of her life, Matt, run to the rhythm of 7 children in Columbus, OH.
